Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke
No, it is about things falling off. Now an ape can break bolts but I seem to have enough innate talent. YMMV.
I use a TW where it is needed. Most suspension work is not one of those needs. I have never seen a TW laying near an alignment rack in half a century.
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Torque specs are about proper torque for a fastener that engineers determined when they designed a machine. It's usually the minimum necessary to stay tight but sometimes that is a LOT. There are certain applications where it is not critical if things are over tightened and others where it is critical.
I work on cars a lot including engines, suspensions, brakes, you name it. I use torque wrenches infrequently and only where necessary but I also have a good sense of how tight things need to be. I am constantly running into fasteners that were over tightened by the last moron whose only concern was that they did not fall off. Threads and metal are not infinitely strong and can be fatigued and damaged by dumb mechanics.
You might also be a guy with a good sense of how tight things need to be. As for alignment racks, most of the techs use impact wrenches and it's all about speed and things not coming loose. That does not mean that they are properly tightened. The tire shop I use actually uses torque wrenches a lot more than I do, like on all lug nuts, for instance. I know that my cordless impact puts those on exactly right with no damage and I can get them off again. I can't tell you how many lug nuts I've encountered that seem like they were put on by an ape at the zoo. Un-fking-believably over tightened.
YMMV.